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Ezekiel Chapter
Five
Ezekiel 5
Chapter Contents
A type of hair
showing the judgments about to come upon
the Jews. (1-4) These awful judgments are declared. (5-17)
Commentary on Ezekiel 5:1-4
(Read Ezekiel 5:1-4)
The prophet must shave off the hair of his head and
beard
which signifies God's utter rejecting and abandoning that people. One
part must be burned in the midst of the city
denoting the multitudes that
should perish by famine and pestilence. Another part was to be cut in pieces
representing the many who were slain by the sword. Another part was to be
scattered in the wind
denoting the carrying away of some into the land of the
conqueror
and the flight of others into the neighbouring countries for
shelter. A small quantity of the third portion was to be bound in his shirts
as that of which he is very careful. But few were reserved. To whatever refuge
sinners flee
the fire and sword of God's wrath will consume them.
Commentary on Ezekiel 5:5-17
(Read Ezekiel 5:5-17)
The sentence passed upon Jerusalem is very dreadful
the
manner of expression makes it still more so. Who is able to stand in God's
sight when he is angry? Those who live and die impenitent
will perish for ever
unpitied; there is a day coming when the Lord will not spare. Let not persons
or churches
who change the Lord's statutes
expect to escape the doom of
Jerusalem. Let us endeavour to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things. Sooner or later God's word will prove itself true.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Ezekiel》
Ezekiel 5
Verse 1
[1] And
thou
son of man
take thee a sharp knife
take thee a barber's razor
and
cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to
weigh
and divide the hair.
Take — Thus
foretel the mourning
reproach
and deformity that are coming
for all this is
signified by shaving the head and beard.
Verse 2
[2] Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city
when the
days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part
and smite
about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I
will draw out a sword after them.
A third part —
Described on the tile
chap. 4:1
a type of what should be done in Jerusalem.
The days —
When the three hundred and ninety days of thy lying against the portrayed city
shall be ended.
With a knife — To
signify them that fall by the sword.
Scatter — To
typify them that fell to the Chaldeans
or fled to Egypt
or other countries.
Verse 3
[3] Thou
shalt also take thereof a few in number
and bind them in thy skirts.
Take — Of
the last third.
Bind — As
men tied up in the skirt of their garment what they would not lose: to signify
the small remnant.
Verse 4
[4] Then
take of them again
and cast them into the midst of the fire
and burn them in
the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
Of them —
Out of that little remnant.
In the fire —
For their sin against God
their discontents at their state
and conspiracies
against their governor
another fire shall break out which shall devour the
most
and be near consuming all the houses of Israel.
Verse 5
[5] Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of
the nations and countries that are round about her.
This is Jerusalem —
This portrayed city
is typically Jerusalem.
The midst —
Jerusalem was set in the midst of the nations
to be as the heart in the body
to invigorate the dead world with a divine life
as well as to enlighten the
dark world with a divine light.
Verse 6
[6] And
she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations
and my
statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have
refused my judgments and my statutes
they have not walked in them.
More —
More than the heathen.
Verse 7
[7]
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations
that are round about you
and have not walked in my statutes
neither have kept
my judgments
neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that
are round about you;
Multiplied — In
idols
superstitions
and wickedness.
Neither —
You have exceeded them in superstition and idolatry
and fallen short of them
in moral virtues.
Verse 9
[9] And
I will do in thee that which I have not done
and whereunto I will not do any
more the like
because of all thine abominations.
Not done —
Though the old world perished by water
and Sodom by fire
yet neither one or
other was so lingering a death.
Verse 10
[10]
Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee
and the sons
shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee
and the whole
remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.
Scatter —
This was verified when they were fetched away
who were left at the departure
of the besiegers
and when the very small remnant with Johanan fled into Egypt.
Verse 11
[11]
Wherefore
as I live
saith the Lord GOD; Surely
because thou hast defiled my
sanctuary with all thy detestable things
and with all thine abominations
therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare
neither will
I have any pity.
Sanctuary — My
temple.
Detestable things —
Thy idols.
Verse 13
[13] Thus
shall mine anger be accomplished
and I will cause my fury to rest upon them
and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in
my zeal
when I have accomplished my fury in them.
Comforted — In
executing my vengeance.
In my zeal —
For my own glory.
Verse 15
[15] So
it shall be a reproach and a taunt
an instruction and an astonishment unto the
nations that are round about thee
when I shall execute judgments in thee in
anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
Taunt — A
very proverb among them.
Instruction —
Sinners shall learn by thy miseries
what they may expect from me.
Verse 17
[17] So
will I send upon you famine and evil beasts
and they shall bereave thee; and
pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon
thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
Bereave thee — Of
your children
friends
and your own life.
Pestilence and blood — Thy land shall be the common road for pestilence and blood. Tho' this
prophecy was to be accomplished presently
in the destruction of Jerusalem by
the Chaldeans; yet it may well be supposed to look forward
to the final
destruction of it by the Romans
when God made a full end of the Jewish nation
and caused his fury to rest upon them.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Ezekiel》
05 Chapter 5
Verses 1-17
Verses 1-4
Take thee a sharp knife.
God’s judgments upon the wicked
1. Wicked men are of little worth; take a whole city of them
they
are of no more account with God than a little hair of the head or beard.
2. It is the privilege of Christ to appoint whom and what instruments
He pleases to execute His pleasure upon sinners.
3. When God hath been long provoked by a people
He comes with sharp
and sweeping judgments amongst them.
4. There is no standing out against God; whatever our number or
strength is
His judgments are irresistible.
5. The judgments and proceedings of God with sinners are not rash
but most carefully weighed.
6. There is no escaping of God’s judgments for hard-hearted sinners.
7. In great judgments and general destructions
God of His infinite
mercy spares some few. Ezekiel must take a few and bind up in his skirts
all
must not be destroyed; the fire and sword devoureth many
but the dispersion
preserved some
and some few are left in Judah. God is just
and yet when He is
in the way of His judgments
he forgets not mercy: a little of the hair shall
be preserved
when the rest goes to the fire
sword
and wind.
8. The paucity preserved in common calamities are not all precious
truly godly. Reprobates for the present escape as well as elect vessels; some
choice ones may be cut off
and some vile ones may be kept. In a storm cedars
and oaks are smitten
when bushes and briers are spared; and yet after they are
cut up and cast into the fire. Sinners may escape present wrath
but there is
wrath to come (Luke 3:7).
9. God may take occasion
from the sin of some
to bring in judgment
upon all. He must take of the remnant preserved
and throw into the fire
and
out of that fire went forth fire into all the house of Israel. (W.
Greenhill
M. A.)
Verse 5
This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations.
Jerusalem in the midst of the nations
Jerusalem was designed to have a good influence upon the nations
and countries round about
and was set in the midst of them as a candle upon a
candlestick to spread the light of Divine revelation
which she was blessed
with
to all the dark corners of the neighbouring nations
that from them it
might diffuse itself further
even to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem was set
in the midst of the nations
to be as the heart in the body
to invigorate this
dead world with a Divine life
to be an example of everything that is good. (M.
Henry.)
Verse 11
As I live
saith the Lord God.
The Divine oath
I. The form of the
Divine oath. When men swear
they do it “by the greater” (Hebrews 6:16). God cannot do this. So He
swears by Himself.
II. The use of the
Divine oath. God utters His word clearly and plainly
calling on men to believe
it. When they will not
He tries a new expedient
backing it up with an oath.
Was ever grace more conspicuous
and forbearance more extraordinary?
III. Examples of the
Divine oath.
1. The oath used in connection with the Priesthood of Christ (Psalms 110:4
as interpreted in Hebrews 7:1-28).
2. The oath used in connection with the believer’s safety (Hebrews 7:17-18). Blessed safeguard!
3. The oath used in connection with the sincerity of the Gospel call
(Ezekiel 33:11). Must not God be terribly
in earnest?
4. The oath used in connection with the ultimate triumph of the
Christian cause (Isaiah 45:23). Can such a purpose be
defeated? Encouraged by this
let the Church go forward.
5. The oath used in connection with the doom of the unbelieving (Psalms 95:11). Then
“Acquaint now
thyself
” etc. (Job 22:21). “Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ
” etc. (Acts 16:31). (John Burnett
B. D.)
Verse 13
Thus shall Mine anger be accomplished.
God’s anger against sinners
1. God goes on by degrees in His wrath against a people. He had in
times past corrected them like a father
He would now execute them like a
judge; the drops of His wrath had done no good
now they should have the full
vials.
2. Wrath let out against a sinful people
ofttimes lies long upon
them. “I will cause My fury to rest upon them.” They were seventy years under
God’s displeasure in Babylon.
3. God takes pleasure in executing judgment
in accomplishing His
wrath
and causing His fury to rest upon impenitent and incurable sinners
He
will be comforted in it (Proverbs 1:26).
4. The Word of God may be preached among a people
and they
through
ignorance and malice
not know it
nor entertain it.
5. Wicked men shall be convinced
and left without excuse. “They
shall know that I the Lord have spoken”; they eyed men and not Me
they deemed
it man’s voice
not Heaven’s; but they shall find that it was the voice of God
amongst them.
6. God will justify His servants in their zealous labours for Him.
“They shall know that I have spoken it in My zeal.” It is God speaks in the
prophets; it is His zeal they express. Let men be zealous against sin
the
iniquities of the times
they are counted mad
fiery fellows
troublers of
Israel
seditious
factious
etc.
7. The Lord is intense
and will not recall His indignation
when He
deals with unfaithful
covenant-breaking persons. As in God’s zeal there is
intense love towards His Church (when God promises mercy to His people
it is
sealed with this
“The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do it
” 2 Kings 19:31)
so here is intense
hatred
wrath against His enemies. (W. Greenhill
M. A.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》